This invention relates to compressed earth block ramming machines, and more particularly to compressed earth block ramming machines that can be manually operated and hydraulically or pneumatically powered.
It is estimated that about two billion people around the world rely on earthen construction for their shelters. Many of these shelters have been constructed from traditional sun dried adobe, rammed earth, and compressed soil blocks. Some of these structures have provided continuous shelter over the last 200 years with minimal maintenance.
Kofahl U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,497 (xe2x80x9cthe ""497 patentxe2x80x9d) describes an apparatus for forming building blocks that includes an upright compression chamber with an upper end that serves both as an inlet and an outlet. In operation, a soil/cement mixture is loaded into the upper end of the compression chamber, a sliding gate is slid shut, and a ram compresses the mixture against the gate. The gate is opened while the ram is still under pressure, which allows the block to be ejected through the common inlet/outlet. Because the ram shown in the Kofahl patent has an upright orientation, an earth-feeding hopper can not easily be attached and production is slow because the input of the mixture and the output of the blocks is at shoulder level, which makes handling heavy blocks difficult. Furthermore, the headgate of the machine does not compensate for wear and becomes loose in operation.
Another example of a compressed soil block machine is the Impact 2001, which is manufactured by Advanced Earthen Construction Technologies, Inc., of San Antonio, Tex. The Impact 2001 is a hydraulic machine that rams blocks along a vertical axis and then pushes them out on a horizontal axis. In this case, an earth-feed hopper can be moved over the retracted vertical ramming chamber while simultaneously pushing the previously rammed block out, filling the ramming chamber with a fresh charge, and sealing the chamber for the next cycle. Although the Impact 2001 may be an ergonomic improvement over the machine shown by the ""497 patent, it is unnecessarily complex (and thus difficult to repair) and expensive, especially in remote country use. Moreover, the vertical dimension of the blocks formed using the Impact 2001 varies too much for use in the interlock dry-stack system; these blocks are meant for lay-up in mortar.
The Green Machine is another known ramming machine (sold by the GreenMachine Technology Company, of Middleburg, Va.) and shares many of the mechanical design features of the Impact 2001. This machine, however, is more mechanically complex, more automated, employs a stop-feature in the vertical ramming action which is claimed to result in a consistent vertical dimension of the blocks produced therewith. Like the Impact 2001, the Green machine is expensive, complicated to repair, expensive to ship, and uses a number of mechanical parts that are not readily available.
Another block ramming machine is the CinvaRam (which was manufactured by Metalibec Ltda., of Bogota, Columbia and sold by Schrader Bellows, of Akron, Ohio). The CinvaRam was developed in the 1950""s as a simple, vertical axis ramming machine that uses a hand lever to provide a mechanical advantage for providing increased ramming pressures. The CinvaRam has no hopper; earth is filled into an open top of the ramming chamber when the ramming plate is retracted downward. During operation, the cover is then rotated into place and the level arm is brought across the top and the ramming plate is raised against the top. In addition to being slow, the CinvaRam machine produces blocks with a relatively low density (i.e., poor hardness after cure), which may not satisfy building codes.
Elkins U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,706 (xe2x80x9cthe ""706 patentxe2x80x9d) describes an apparatus for making blocks from earth, soil, or like material. The ""706 patent has a horizontally disposed channel that is provided with (a) a fill chamber, (b) a compression chamber downstream of the fill chamber, and (c) means that, during a first cycle and while inhibiting further material from being supplied to the fill chamber, moves already supplied material from the fill chamber to the compression chamber to form a block and that, during a second cycle, enables further material to be supplied to the fill chamber. A disadvantage of the apparatus shown in the ""706 patent is that the endwall of the ramming chamber moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the channel, making it difficult, for example, to form certain types of tongue and groove styled block ends. Moreover, the apparatus shown in the ""706 patent necessarily uses different actuators to form blocks and to move blocks after they are formed.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can operate along any axis, including a substantially horizontal axis.
It would also be desirable to be able to provide a block ramming machine with a headgate that compensates for wear and does not become loose in operation.
It would also be desirable to be able to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can produce plain, or tongue and groove earth, blocks that have a relatively high density, and a substantially consistent thickness and width, and variable, yet controllable, length.
It would further be desirable to be able to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that provides flexible work flow and worksite production.
It would still further be desirable to be able to provide a block ramming machine that is physically small, and that is well-suited to making compressed earth blocks.
It would also be desirable to be able to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can be adapted to any local power source, can be easily dismantled for air, jeep, animal, or even human transport, and can be easily maintained in remote field situations.
It would be still more desirable to be able to provide a block ramming machine capable of forming blocks with internal channels or chases for carrying wire and/or piping.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can operate along any axis, including a substantially horizontal axis.
It is another object of this invention to provide a block ramming machine with a headgate that compensates for wear and does not become loose in operation.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can produce plain, or tongue and groove, earth blocks of substantially consistent thickness and width, yet of variable and controllable length.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that provides flexibility of work flow and worksite production.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a block ramming machine that is physically small, and is particularly well-suited to making compressed earth blocks.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a compressed earth block ramming machine that can be adapted to any local power source, can be easily dismantled for air, jeep, animal, or even human transport, and can be easily maintained in remote field situations.
It would be yet a further object of this invention to provide a block ramming machine capable of forming blocks with internal channels or chases for carrying wire and/or piping.
In accordance with this invention, a block ramming machine is provided that includes: (a) a ramming chamber structure having a longitudinal axis, an input end, an output end, and a ramming chamber located between the input and output ends, (b) a headgate assembly located near the output end of the ramming chamber, wherein the assembly comprises a headgate that can have at least an open position and a closed position, (c) a fill chamber structure positioned along the longitudinal axis and having a first end, a second end, and a fill chamber located between the first and second ends, the input end and the second end being coupled so that the material can be transferred from the fill chamber to the ramming chamber, (d) a ramming plate for pushing the material from the fill chamber to the ramming chamber, and (e) an actuator for moving the ramming plate along the longitudinal axis from a position in the fill chamber to a position in the ramming chamber, thereby transferring the material from the fill chamber to the ramming chamber to form a block.
Methods for using the machine are also provided.